How To Care For a Pet Guinea Pig

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How To Care For a Pet Guinea Pig

Watch more How to Care for Small Pets videos: http://www.howcast.com/guides/471-How-to-Care-for-Small-Pets Subscribe to Howcast's YouTube Channel - http://howc.st/uLaHRS Guinea pigs often squeak with joy when their owners enter a room. How can you resist such welcoming pets? Howcast uploads the highest quality how-to videos daily! Be sure to check out our playlists for guides that interest you: http://howc.st/ytmainplaylists Subscribe to Howcast's other YouTube Channels: Howcast Health Channel - http://howc.st/HOE3aY Howcast Video Games Channel - http://howc.st/tYKKrk Howcast Tech Channel - http://howc.st/rx9FwR Howcast Food Channel - http://howc.st/umBoJX Howcast Arts & Recreation Channel - http://howc.st/vmB86i Howcast Sports & Fitness Channel - http://howc.st/vKjUjm Howcast Personal Care & Style Channel - http://howc.st/vbbNt3 Howcast empowers people with engaging, useful how-to information wherever, whenever they need to know how. Emphasizing high-quality instructional videos, Howcast brings you experts who provide accurate information in easy-to-follow tutorials on everything from makeup, hairstyling, nail art design, and soccer to parkour, skateboarding, dancing, kissing, and much, much more. Step 1: Do research Before you actually bring your guinea pig home, do a little research online and in magazines and books. Guinea pigs need more care and attention than you might expect. Step 2: Get company Guinea pigs are social animals—they'd much rather live with another guinea pig or two than by themselves. If you want your little squeaker to be the happiest, get her a friend. Step 3: Consider roommates Female guinea pigs can usually live comfortably together. Male guinea pigs should be from the same litter to reduce grumpiness and fighting. And since guinea pig neutering isn't widely available, don't keep males and females in the same pen. Step 4: Give them room Guinea pigs need plenty of space to run around. One guinea pig needs at least four square feet of space—but the roomier, the better. Step 5: Line the cage Guinea pigs' feet are delicate. Don't keep them in wire-bottomed cages. Instead, use cages with solid bottoms, and line the cage or pen with newspaper topped with plenty of hay, shredded paper, or recycled pellet-type bedding. Tip A hard-sided children's wading pool makes a good guinea pig pen. Step 6: Provide lots of hay A guinea pig's main food source should be fresh, high-quality timothy hay. Feed your piggies as much hay as they'll eat—they need the fiber, and munching on hay is the best way to keep their teeth from growing too long. Step 7: Give them vitamin C Guinea pigs depend on their owners to provide them with vitamin C. Commercial guinea pig pellets contain the necessary amount of C. Generally, one adult guinea pig needs a ? cup of pellets per day. Use fresh pellets, as vitamin C breaks down, and don't substitute rabbit pellets, which aren't the same thing. Tip Many guinea pigs think Vitamin C tablets are a treat. Give your piggies a quarter of a tablet once a week, or sprinkle a crushed tablet over their food. Step 8: Give them greens Guinea pigs should also have a handful of varied greens and vegetables each day. Provide those high in vitamin C like kale, dandelion greens, and strips of red pepper. Step 9: Give them water Guinea pigs drink tons of water. Make sure yours have clean, fresh water available at all times. Step 10: Provide hiding places Guinea pigs love having hiding places to play and sleep in. Try empty coffee cans, shoeboxes with holes cut in them, and overturned flowerpots. While guinea pigs like to play, they're not particularly nimble—offer them balls and low ramps for exercise. Step 11: Let them run free Give your guinea pigs plenty of "floor time" each day. Let them run around in a space that's free of wires and other dangers—you don't want them nibbling on your computer cords! Step 12: Groom your piggies Many guinea pigs love to be brushed. Longhaired guinea pigs should be brushed every day. Step 13: Watch their health Call a small-animal veterinarian if your guinea pigs are sneezing or coughing, have diarrhea, or seem lethargic. A happy, healthy guinea pig can live for up to 10 years, so with good care your little friend will be around for a nice long time. Did You Know? Excited guinea pigs sometimes jump up and down—a behavior called "popcorning."

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